Chapter Text
Kris was hyperventilating, frantically laying against one of the prison cell’s walls, trying to process Ralsei’s revelation. They were trying to deny what was happening to them, saying things they had never chosen to say, their body doing things on its own.
“Now… I know this is a lot to take in, Kris, but please don’t freak out—”
“Don’t freak out? Don’t freak out!!??!?! THAT THING HAS BEEN… POSSESSING ME FOR AN ENTIRE DAY, AND YOU JUST TOLD ME IT WON’T GO AWAY!!!”
“Listen, you play a special role in the prophecy as the SOUL’s chosen vessel, and there’s nothing I can do to change that! Separate that SOUL from your body, and you…” Ralsei’s expression suddenly became grim. “You won’t last long without it, and if we were ever to lose the SOUL, we’d be unable to seal the fountains, leaving the world’s fate to be covered in darkness! So please, for the fate of the world, you need to keep the SOUL intact.”
“So, what, I’m just supposed to live with this entity overriding my free will?!!??!”
“The SOUL means well! It doesn’t know of your predicament. It likely believes it’s you at this point!”
Kris gave Ralsei a judgmental look. “Then why don’t you lecture it on why overriding someone’s free will is wrong!”
Ralsei took a step back before looking away shamefully. “I’m… I’m sorry, but I… I can’t do that…”
“What the hell do you mean you can’t do that!!!” Kris felt their heart start to race again.
“While the SOUL has almost complete control over your body, it also has the power to ‘influence’ others. However, if it has an incomplete understanding of its limits, it shouldn’t be able to exert its influence beyond you, their vessel. This should give me time to ‘advise’ it down the right path. While its place in the prophecy gives it the final say, I plan to explain your situation once I know it won’t… abuse its capabilities.”
Kris couldn’t take it anymore. “Why the hell are you fine with this?! Why the hell do you treat this THING like its orders are unquestionable!??!?!”
“The SOUL means well! It’s only been in this world for a singular day! It may make weird choices, but trust me when I say that the SOUL’s intentions are pure.”
That thing’s intentions were not pure… Kris thought to themself, trying to avoid thinking about what that entity did to Noelle. They couldn’t focus on what Susie was talking about; something about their family’s weirdness. Those images wouldn’t leave their mind. That thing pushed Noelle to do things she’d never do: Darkners covered in frost and Berdly encased in ice.
Then suddenly, Kris was caught off guard as it finally spoke through them, its words filling Kris with dread. “Noelle.”
“Huh? Oh yeah, I was going to tell you about that.” Susie scratched the back of her head, appearing to think back to the Cyber World. “So, when I found Noelle, something was really off. I have no idea what happened, but she seemed disturbed. Hurt? I don’t know. She didn’t really want to talk about it, but I told her it was just a dream to see if that would cheer her up.” She looked down solemnly. “I’m still worried about whatever happened to her. At the time, I thought that maybe she was just upset about Queen, but now I don’t know…”
Kris didn’t even bother to struggle against the entity’s control. As much as they wanted to tell Susie the truth, it would never let them do so.
As Susie just looked at Kris, they felt their body tense up as that thing prevented any signs of the real Kris from leaking through. “Anyway, after that she seemed to feel much better, but she didn’t want me to leave right away, so we kind of hung out for a bit? We talked about the first time we met and how she likes horror movies and…” She then shook her head, seemingly to push out a thought before looking back at Kris, smiling. “She’s nice. Hey, maybe we could tell her about the Dark Worlds! Wouldn’t adventures be sooo much better with her—”
“No.” it said flatly, leaving Susie with a confused look on her face.
“Uh, sure, sorry, we won’t tell her.” She looked back down at the table. “I’ve been thinking about something, in any case. Noelle seemed to act… weirdly friendly, even though she was terrified of me when we ran into her yesterday. I’ve been wondering, do you think she’s…”
“Onto our secret identities.”
“No, I don’t think she’s on to our secret identities. Not that… I’m kind of wondering if she…” Susie looked back and forth before she leaned towards Kris and whispered. “Likes me.”
Kris felt their body straighten out on its own, putting their arms on the table. They still haven’t gotten used to that thing controlling their body like that. Kris was pretty sure Noelle had a crush on Susie, but they were not the one in control. “She doesn’t.”
Susie squinted her eyes. “Whatever makes you say that?”
“She doesn’t like girls.”
“HEY! I DIDN’T MEAN IT THAT WAY! GOD…!” Susie’s cheeks lighted up as she looked at Kris with an almost offended look. “I meant, like, does she want to be friends with me and crap like that!”
In any other context, Kris would find that thing’s lie hilarious. Noelle was many things but straight was not one of them. However, they could tell what that entity was doing; it was trying to keep Noelle away from Susie, away from someone who could protect her.
Looking down at her food, Susie sighed, appearing almost disappointed. A new thought entering Kris’s mind. Wait, she totally has a crush on Noelle, doesn’t she…? They immediately tried to tease her for it, until they remembered that those words would never leave their mouth. They couldn’t say anything without that entity’s permission.
“Just a second, I’ll get out her refill.” The toothy monster reached under the desk, pulled out two pill bottles, and handed them to Rudy.
“Ah, there we go, sweetheart!” Rudy beamed as he reached down and patted his daughter’s head.
As the two walked towards the door, Noelle stopped as she caught a glance of the bead maze, almost zoning out as her eyes focused on the broken blue bead.
Noelle’s memory drifted off towards yesterday. Come on, Noelle, it’s just a dream, right? She thought, slowly moving the little blue bead along its path, trying to distract herself from the nightmare she escaped from. So why can’t I stop thinking about B… A gasp left Noelle’s mouth as the bead suddenly snapped off; she didn’t realize she was pinching it that hard. Noelle quickly looked around, relieved that no one noticed her breaking the bead. It’s just a dream… it’s just a…
“Sugarplum, are you there?”
Her father’s voice brought her back to the present. “S-Sorry, Dad, just… still thinking about that… b-bad dream I had while studying yesterday.” She looked down at the ground, thinking about what Kris told her that day. That was real, w-wasn’t it…
“You never said it was a nightmare.” Rudy frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that, sweetheart.”
“Well, it was just a dream!” She lied, “s-so no need to worry about it.” Still, there was something she had to do. “Hey, Dad? before we go to church, is it ok if I tell Susie—”
“OHHHHH, you’re finally asking her out!” He put on a cheeky smile.
Noelle blushed, letting out a nervous laugh. “Daaad!”
“Well, am I wrong?”
“No! I mean, yes! I’m not ready to do that yet! I just wanted to see if she’d like to h-hang out for a bit, and it’s not a date! Besides, I also need to drop off my hormones.”
“I get it. you’re coming out to her?”
“I’m also not ready for that! How the heck would that even go? ‘Hey Susie! I’m trans; here’s my estradiol pills!?’”
Rudy just smiled and handed his daughter her medication. “Well, when you do ask her for a date, just remember how I asked your mother out.”
“Dad! I’m not calling her a hot piece of work!”
“Well, is she?”
The two burst out laughing, only for Noelle to wince as her father’s laughter turned into another cough.
A car’s honk drew their attention to the door. “That must be Tori. Well, see you!”
Noelle watched as her father left the hospital, and her smile slowly disappeared, knowing what was next. Walking out of the hospital, Noelle didn’t need to search long. All it took was a left turn, and her heart dropped as she saw them walking out of QC’s, closely followed by Susie. She quickly darted behind a tree, feeling her heartbeat become unsteady as unpleasant memories full of ice and frost entered her mind. “Come on, Noelle,” she whispered to herself. “You can do this, Holiday family ninja style y’know…”
She started following them around the corner, trying her best to stay out of their sight. Finally, peeking around another tree, she saw Kris at Catti’s door, motioning towards Susie.
“I told you she hates my guts. I’m waiting out here where she can’t like, put a hex on me or something.”
And with that, Kris entered the house. Noelle stood there, trying to muster up the courage to ask Susie for help. It’s now or never. She dashed forward, eventually stopping behind her. “S-Susie?”
She jumped, quickly turning around with anger on her face. “HEY! WATCH IT—” only for said irritation to melt away as soon as she recognized Noelle, smiling widely. “Oh, sorry, Noelle! What’s up!”
Noelle averted her gaze. “Susie… I n-need to talk to you…” she quickly checked Catti’s door. Still closed. Before looking back at Susie. “Alone…”
Susie then raised an eyebrow, seemingly caught off-guard. “Sure! But why alone?”
“I-It’s about Kris. I’m worried…” Again, she looked back at Catti’s. hurry up; they could come out any minute. “Something is w-wrong with them…”
“They seem pretty fine to me; I don’t think they’re sick with a cold or something.”
Cold… Cold…
Noelle’s heart felt frigid and sick; she stepped back as an unpleasant memory asserted itself in her mind, leaving a sharp pain of guilt in her chest. “No, it’s just… p-please can we meet somewhere w-without them?” The door was still closed, but Noelle felt like they were losing time.
Then suddenly, Susie’s eyes widened, seeming to understand what Noelle was implying. “What did… I haven’t known them for long, but I’m sure Kris didn’t mean whatever they—”
“Just please can we talk somewhere they can’t hurt me again!!!” She quickly covered her mouth, shocked that she had the confidence to say that. Noelle promptly looked back and was still relieved to see no signs of Kris. “J-Just please somewhere they won’t find me…”
Susie then gave Noelle a concerned look, seeming to realize that something serious was going on. “Your house is over there, right?” She pointed towards the gate to the Holidays’ residence. “Would that work, or is your mom—”
“She works every day, including the weekends, so she’s not home. Mom would kill me if she learned I let someone else in, but I don’t know where else to go.”
A quick glance back, Susie checked on Catti’s house herself. “So, is that a yes?”
“Yeah, it’s a yeAAHHH.” Noelle let out a yelp as her crush grabbed her hand.
“THEN COME ON!” Susie began running off, Noelle’s heartbeat fluttering as she was pulled along.
They swiftly found themselves at the gate, Noelle once again briefly checking to see that Kris had yet to leave.
She quickly glanced down at the hand that had touched Susie’s, before realizing that there were more important matters at. Noelle swiftly turned to the gate and began ruffling through her bag for the keys except, “I… f-forgot my keys…” She started to panic unable to find them. “M-Maybe I left them… a-at the hospital o-or…”
“Don’t worry! I could boost you over the fence, and then I’ll climb over—”
Then suddenly, Noelle felt something in her skirt’s pockets. “FOUND IT!” A sense of relief washed over her as she quickly went to the gate lock and fumbled to unlock it.
Noelle ushered Susie inside before going in herself, closing the gate, and hearing a click as it locked. She tried to relax, slowly breathing until she looked up to see them. Even though Kris’ hair obscured their eyes, she felt like they were staring into her soul.
“Come on, Noelle, let’s…” Susie went silent as Noelle looked back to see her orange eyes were now locked on Kris. “Dammit…”